Chapter 85
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Three Swords
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Duchess Katarina dropped the red letter to the ground and collapsed to her knees. Philip wrapped his arms around her shaking shoulders as she sobbed, then checked the contents of the letter.
'Three swords?'
He had no idea what that could mean.
The 'red letter' that only those with Strange blood could understand—and the swords written within it signified death.
And if there were three swords drawn, not one, who could they be referring to?
'Tony, Jony, Rony.'
Her three sons, who carried the blood of the Strange family.
"Berddin... you bastard!"
Overwhelming fear soon stripped away her reason. Katarina ground her teeth in rage, her eyes blazing, but she quickly steadied her breathing and looked at the letter again.
"Fine. I was prepared for this anyway. I knew if we failed, we'd die."
"Master."
"But I won't go down without a fight. I've already contacted them in case those guys fail."
"Them?"
"...Yes, them."
The Duchess hurried to her study, pulled a book from the shelf, and handed it to Philip.
"Philip, take this book and head to the eastern lands."
"The eastern lands?"
"Yes. Find Hagen von Glazer there. Just give him this book, and he'll understand the situation."
Philip looked up at her in shock.
"You mean the mage Hagen?"
"That's right."
"M-Master. Even so, allying with the mages—"
"This is also the command of one called an apostle. No, his command is the will of a higher power—practically the word of God."
"If we join forces with them, there's no turning back."
"It's already too late to turn back. We've started a war; we have to see it through."
"Master."
The Duchess pressed the book into Philip's chest.
"Understand my decision. I promise I won't let any harm come to the Alchemist Guild."
Philip bit his lip hard, then clutched both his own book and hers as he replied.
"...Understood. But promise me one thing."
"What?"
"As you know, Master, Count Albus—one of the Five Generals—stands behind me. Even if things go wrong, please keep him out of this incident."
"I promise. Even in the worst case, I won't call on him."
Upon returning to the castle, I headed straight to the training grounds with my father.
From now on, I had to prepare to face the enemy here. The cornered foes would surely come to the castle once they confirmed the rumors and sought to finish off my father.
So I prepared.
To ensure that my father—the head of the Strange family and the pillar of our house—would meet his end in the most Strange-like way possible.
"Father, just hold on a little longer. Everything will be over soon."
I seated him in the golden chair at the center of the training grounds.
"Rox."
"Yeah."
I used Rox's larva to help him assume a dignified posture.
Shiiiik—
Behind my father, the Guardian Spirit called the Dark King materialized.
Since my father hadn't passed yet, he was sticking around, chatting and pointing fingers with my own Guardian Spirit, Siegfried, as they cackled.
"Master, what's so funny?"
To laugh so innocently in front of a dying man...
"Nah, I was just hearing about your old man from this guy. What a spectacle."
"What about him?"
"Just this and that. Stories about how a guy named Roys lived his life."
"The Dark King told you all that?"
I never talked to him in my previous life, but now I realized I could learn a lot through the Dark King.
'This is my chance.'
Time to ask about the things I've always wondered, through him.
"Master."
"Yeah?"
"Could you ask him about something I'm curious about?"
"What?"
"I want to know why Father climbed the tower."
Siegfried tilted his head.
"What do you mean? Why climb the tower? Obviously to prove his strength."
"I don't think so."
"Huh?"
"From what my brothers told me growing up, Father wanted to unify the continent."
"Roys did?"
"Yes. But one day, he stopped all territorial wars and just stayed in the tower. I'm curious why."
The Dark King, listening to our conversation, sidled up to Siegfried and muttered something.
"Oh? Really? So that's why Roys climbed the tower?"
I waited for them to finish and asked.
"What'd he say?"
"...He went to the tower to find your mom?"
My mother?
"Don't lie."
"It's true."
"True my ass. Our mother died right after giving birth to me."
"That's bullshit, he says."
"...What?"
Siegfried listened to a bit more from the Dark King, then scowled in irritation.
"These bastards did something really vicious."
"What? Explain. What's bullshit?"
"That your mom died. Apparently, an apostle came to the castle right after you were born and took her away."
"...Apostle?"
"Said if he wanted her back, come to the tower. After that, Roys devoted himself solely to climbing it."
"W-Wait. So you're saying Father climbed the tower to find our mother?"
"Yeah."
What the hell was this?
My mind went blank from the confusion. From my past life to now, I'd always assumed my mother had died.
No, I'd been told that.
Without a shred of doubt.
Unless she was the official wife, any woman who bore a Strange child didn't live long.
Not just my mother—this was recorded throughout the Strange family's long history.
'Well, yeah.'
They probably thought the son with the purest Strange blood should inherit the headship, so they had to eliminate rivals.
Brother Hysteria's mother too.
"What was the name of that apostle who took our mother?"
Siegfried asked the Dark King a few more things, then scratched his head awkwardly and answered.
"He didn't see it himself, so no name. But according to the maid in the room, it had lots of horns on its head."
"Lots of horns?"
"Yeah. She was too shocked to remember clearly. Said it had many horns on its forehead and bat-like wings."
Many horns and bat-like wings.
Having been to the 80th floor in my past life, two suspects came to mind.
'But.'
There was no proof now, and even the story of her being taken was hard to believe.
'Can't judge yet.'
I hadn't even resolved this incident, and now my head was flooded with too much info.
"Got it."
I ended the conversation there.
Any more, and I wouldn't focus on the matter at hand.
'What I need to do now is wrap this incident up.'
Stories about Mother could wait.
With that thought, I wrapped up and left the training grounds.
"That's him."
Gordon, the enemy soldier Berddin had captured at the tower, pulled his hat low and raised his mask to his nose as he spoke to Bess.
"That old man in black?"
They eyed one figure among the many emerging from the tower.
'Matteo Ricci,' a former comrade of Roys and a key player in this incident.
"Yes. That guy's the one who recruited me from the Adventurer's Hall. Said they needed a navigator, so I applied, but they hired three, so I just ended up as a porter."
"So the ones who came out with him are all in on it?"
"Yes, yes. See that tall guy wrapped in bandages? And that bobbed-hair woman muttering to herself?"
"I see them."
"From what I heard on the ship, they seemed to be in the same party as the old man."
"And the rest?"
"Either hires from the Adventurer's Hall or soldiers from their unit."
"Not certain, huh."
"...Yes."
Bess slipped a coin pouch into Gordon's belt as he answered.
"Good work. I was going to cut your throat, but Young Master Berddin showed mercy and spared you."
"Th-Thank you!"
"Enough. If you don't want to die, make sure I never see your face again after today."
"Yes, sir!"
"And if you breathe a word of this... you know what happens."
Gordon swallowed hard, his face pale with fear.
"Of course!"
"Then scram."
As soon as the talk ended, Gordon bolted. Bess watched him go for a moment, then shifted his gaze to track where the group targeting Strange was headed.
Thud, thud, thud.
As he closed the distance, their conversation drifted over.
"Hey, old timer. At least we succeeded in killing Roys. Now you can sleep easy with both legs stretched out."
The bandaged man whispered with a snicker. The bobbed-hair woman followed up with a scowl.
"I barely slept last night! What about my doll?!"
"What about it? I'll give you money—go buy a new one. Quit whining over nothing."
"Nothing?! I need my doll to use my abilities!"
Matteo Ricci raised his cloth-wrapped left arm.
"See? Shut up already, please. Or I'll cut off your arm too."
"...Old man, why say something so scary? Someone might think you really mean it."
"I do mean it. So be quiet. Unlike you lot, I can actually lose a body part."
Bonnie shrugged.
"Fine, fine, you old geezer. We'll go to the Adventurer's Hall and collect the reward fee. You hurry off and get that arm reattached with Joanna."
"You two okay going alone?"
"What, just picking up money? What's hard about that?"
"...Nothing, but I'm worried with you two going."
"Worried why?"
Matteo started to say something but shook his head.
"Never mind. Go."
"What a buzzkill, this old fart."
"Fine to go, but watch one thing."
"What?"
"We can't let that woman find out we're carrying out Lord Baphomet's orders."
Bonnie tilted her head.
"Why? Didn't she meet Lord Baphomet too? And see Lady Joanna Ark."
"It's complicated to explain. If you hear the details, you might slip up. Just do as you're told."
The conversation ended there.
With that, Matteo Ricci and Joanna Ark headed to the clinic, while Freddy and Bonnie turned toward the Adventurer's Hall.
And Bess, the Guardian Knight Captain of the Strange family—who had been watching them from start to finish since they left the tower—drew his sword.
Swish—
"I'll tail the old man. You follow the bandaged guy."
The silver-haired woman in Strange armor nodded.
"Understood."